A work of art that hung on the wall of Dame Marjorie Scardino’s office at
Pearson has been handed to the publishing company’s former boss as a
retirement gift, costing shareholders nearly £100,000.

The parent company of the Financial Times and Penguin books revealed yesterday
that Dame Marjorie, who stepped down as Pearson’s chief executive at the end
of last year, received a pay package of £6.35 million in her final year.

Although her earnings were lower than the previous year’s £8.88 million, she
was sent on her way with a semi-abstract painting of orange and yellow
lilies, part of